UPLC-TOF MS-Based Metabonomic Study on Coadministration of Huperzine A and Ligustrazine Phosphate for Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

This work was designed to assess the holistic efficacy of concurrent treatment with huperzine A (HA) and ligustrazine phosphate (LP) in the animal model, and to interpret the metabonomics characteristics of the poly-therapy in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). Metabolic profiling of the brain was performed using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (UPLC-TOF MS). Principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis were utilized to classify and reveal the differences among the control, model and treatment groups. Ten potential biomarkers have been finally gained. The metabonomic results revealed that the coadministration of HA and LP might slow down the progression of AD through synergistic therapeutic efficacies, exhibiting better effect on amnesia compared with the mono-drug therapy. Importantly, the UPLC-TOF MS-based metabonomic approach would be a useful technique for the diagnosis of AD, the discovery of metabolic biomarkers and the evaluation of the treatment effects.